Personal Revamp ...

I've decided to do a little bit of personal revamping to myself. I'm working on making myself a better person. I've notice that alot of people, just assume that they are good people, and what, of course, they do is the right way, but they don't ever stop to think about the things or actions they do, that might negatively affect others. Most people are so concerned about what the other person said to make them angry or what the other person did, or how this person reacted to that and never really stop to think about what they, themselves did to contribute to the situation. I've realized that there are alot of little things that people can do to make themselves and others around them much happier. SOOOO..... here are the steps that I'm going to TRY and take, to make myself a "Better" person.

1. Be a Good Listener

I've noticed about myself, that sometimes when people are talking, I'm hearing what they are saying, but not really listening... a lot of the time I'm planning what I'm going to say once they stop talking ...

2. Be Interested ... Not Interesting

Ever had that person you're talking to, just keep going on and on about themselves, and your just like... "shut up, I'm tired of hearing about you"....Then I started thinking about it, How many times have I talked about my weekend, Steven, or MariElena, and the person I was talking to was thiking just the same thing. So I'm going to start listening more and being more interactive in conversations I'm having with others... To be more interested in what they are saying, not trying to be more interesting by trying to talk about myself also.

3. Don't be Judgemental

This is probably going to be the hardest thing for me to do. I think this is the hardest thing for most people to do. We all have our "good" behaviors, and our "bad" behaviors. I'm going to try and forget the concepts of right and wrong ... I'm going to look at it as, "It's just different from what I would do". People aren't Right or Wrong, People just are. I think that being judgemental cuts you off from building meaningful relationships with other. It just brings you down and wastes time. I'm not perfect, so I shouldn't expect others to be either.

These are the first few things that I am going to try and work on...There are much more things I want to work on... But one step at a time... These things are going to be hard enough... lol. I'm learning that you can't control how others react to or handle situations, but you can control how YOU react to and how YOU handle those same situations.

WISH ME LUCK!

Easter Sunday April 16, 2006

Today Mari and I spent easter at home.... Since it was raining outside... She had her esater egg hunt inside... I hid eggs all over the house so she could find them... She had such a good time....

Pictures from Iraq

Love

Just a little Something I made since I had some extra time on my hands.

Charlie's Angels! LOL

Updates

I know that it's been awhile since I've posted, I've just been a little busy lately with work, spending time with MariElena, and pushing myself harder at the gym these last 2 months before Steven comes home on his mid-tour. It's Almost here!!!! I'm so excited! I can't wait. As of right now, he set to leave Iraq on April 19th, but then again that can change at any time. Either way, I'm still excited!

Things where he is at, have calmed down for the most part. Not a lot in the news, and they aren't being effected too much by the civil fighting which I am grateful for. Other than, Steven's been doing alright. He misses home and his family of course, but he's making it.

When he comes home for his Mid-Tour, I've won a trip through my Job, so we will be spending 5 days in Beautiful Napa Valley, California! I'm hoping that he will have a good time, since we are staying at a spa resort, I'm sure he'll get some much needed pampering and relaxation.

Things back here have been ok for the most part, I've been sick the past 2 days so I had to miss work, which I didn't like, cause I've been doing so well! I'll just have to make it up on Monday.

MariElena has been doing good for the most part. Why is it that when you tell kids not to touch things because they aren't toys, that's exactly what they do?! MariElena broke a Precious moments globe that she's had since she was born, today! I wanted to strangle her! But of course I didn't I just put her in timeout, and took her movie privledges away.

Thankful

Lately things have been a little on the rough side for me. Emotionally things have just been flowing uncontrollably through me, to where I seem so confused, lonely, and lost.

I'm so lucky to have such good friends. I'm sure they don't even realize how much the littlest things mean to me. Whenever I need someone to talk to they are always there for me. I don't even have to talk about what exactly is bothering me, just talking to someone, and it's like they know exactly what to say or do to make my laugh or smile....These are the things in life that I'm thankful for.

I don't think I would be able to make it through some of the things I'm going through without them.

I just want to say Thank you for being there for me. Just listening...Just having your presence there has been so helpful to me... Thank you. You are my true Friends. We have a friendship that will last a life time. I have truly been blessed.

More Random Pics

Service

The following is a post by Steve Harrigan of the Fox News Channel who is embedded with our Soldiers.

February 6, 200636:31 minutes

A memorial service today for a soldier killed in action. The entire regiment attended. Empty boots and helmet. His friends and officers spoke about him. There is a part of the ceremony that I had not seen before that caught me by surprise and caught Rudden by surprise also. The company commander began to call roll, the first two soldiers responded to their names, then the commander called the name of the fallen soldier. I looked to the boots. There was no response. Now the name was called again, urgently, with the first name included. It hung in the silence. Then it was called a third time, with the middle initial, and a sense of finality, and it hit everyone there.

Random Pictures

me and Rebecca at Demo's

Rebecca, me, and Jenn at "Hustlers of Hollywood"

Me and April in Orlando

Cynthia, Tammy, Linda, Brandi, Nikita, Me, April and Johnny in Front

Pasoon, Jaston, and Jordan with the Mari Gras Dancer

The Fellas

April being silly with the unicycle guy

In Loving Memory

No Greater Love hath no one than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends

John 15:13

YOU WILL NOT BE FORGOTTEN

Spc. Jesse M. Zamora, 22, of Las Cruces, N.M., died in Bayji, Iraq, on Feb. 3, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his HMMWV. Zamora was assigned to the Army's 1st Battalion, 187th Infantry, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, Fort Campbell, Ky.

Just Gibberish

Well Last night went out with the Girls (Jenn, Marquita, Rebecca, Ashley and Casey), and I really had a Great time! We Took a Trip down to Nashville and ate at this restaurant, had a bunch of Laughs! It's Been a long time since I've laughed that Hard, The food was good, the Manager was Great, and the present Company was even Better. ... Then we all Took a Trip down to "Hustler Of Hollywood" And boy did we have a Blast there. You know I was actually very impressed, it's not at all what I expected, very respectable not raunchy. We All Left with a lil' something ... LOL.

Another thing that I guess I wanted to Vent a little About was, Jenn has this friend, and She is basically Cheating on her husband while he is in Iraq. And Even though I don't really know this girl, It Pisses me off so much. Why? I Just don't understand it. If You aren't happy in your marriage and you aren't ready to commit to something that serious, then leave your husband. Don't Live in his house, Drive his truck, and Spend his money, then leave him when he gets home, so not only does he come home to NO wife, he comes home to NO money. He's over there spilling his blood, sweat, and tears ... And he will come back to NOTHING. I don't know why it bothers me so much, but I just want to slap some sense into this girl. Anyway, I guess I've vented enough about it.

Steven comes home in about 2 months and I am so excited! I can't believe that it's almost here! I Have so much that I need to prepare for, I better get started! Those are gonna be the best 2 weeks of his life! Ha ha!

I Hope everyone had a Great Weekend!

Surprise!

I got Home today and my Neighbor Came up to me with this box, it was from Steven! I was so excited.... He got me this Hand Carved Jewelry box, the trick was trying to figure out how to open it. Yes, it was one of those trick boxes that I had to cheat to get it open...lol I absolutely Loved it!

The Front

The Back


What Was Inside for Me!

What Was inside For MariElena!

Feeling Blue

Well, Today really felt like Friday the 13th for me. My Day just started off Horribly. I woke up a little later than I planned to, so I was rushing around this morning trying to get everything together. Well I go outside and it's pouring down rain, well once I get Mari in the car and I'm off, I realized that I forgot my umbrella. I drop MariElena off at her godparent house, and then I see that my gas light is on, so then I need to stop and get gas. I get to the gas station and reach for my purse and it's soaking wet?! I'm like what the hell! I guess the top to my water wasn't tightened on right and the entire thing poured out into my purse! I was soooooooo upset by then! I get my gas, and I'm off. I'm finally on the road to work. I pull up to my job walk inside, reach for my badge.... DAMN IT! I left my badge at home. Could anything else go wrong?! Well the past couple of days my wisdom tooth has been hurting, well it decides to flair up while at work, and my entire left side of my mouth SWELLS UP! I leave work, go to the dentist to find out that I have an infection, and I'm gonna have them pulled. So he prescribed me some antibiotics (penicillin) and some Lortab for the pain.

I can honestly say that only one good thing happened, and that was that Steven called me today. It was good to hear his voice. It's like I've said before, it's almost as if he knows. He knows that I need to hear his voice and things will be better ... and he always comes through for me.

Gibberish

Things have been going fairly well so far for the new year. I've been keeping myself busy by going to the gym as much as possible. So Far I've lost a total of 40 lbs. Since July when I started dieting. I'm pretty damn proud myself. LOL. Below is a picture of Me in April of '05. So as you look at the other pictures I've posted in the blog below, there's a little bit of a difference there...

Things have been going well at the job. Got the official Invitation to Orlando today, so I'm excited about that. Now All I need the the Official invitation to NAPA VALLEY BABY! Me and Jenn are gonna have soo much fun! I can't Wait!

Steven has been doing very well, so far this year, I've received 4 letters! I can't thank God enough for bringing him into my life. I can't imagine how life would be without him. Even though he's thousands of miles away, he always finds a way to let me know that he loves me, and that his heart is still with me. *sigh* OK OK Enough Mushiness! *wink*

Rakkasan Shirt

I saw this Shirt at the PX a few months ago, and I finally got a chance to get it.

Perfect way to Show my support for My Soldier!

Pictures from Iraq

A new Pet they aquired in the last week, as you can tell her name is "Money"

The Very Small Living Space... [ I made that Blanket I had to emphasize that :-) ]

And Steven with his NEW rank on...

For my Wife!

Julia & Friends 05 JAN 06

I remember hearing a long time ago that a person can’t be forgiven for past sins unless he confess’ what he has done to god and man alike.

Well im here to confess my love , not just to God , but to all who know my wife and myself. I have been blessed to have found such a wonderful woman. She is all that I can imagine a “Real” woman can be. She stands beside me through tough times, never behind me. She is there, Always. She is understanding. whenever there are troubles in life weighting on my mind she listens to me and brings me comfort as no other person can give another . She is always concerned about my well being.

She balances her family, at no times have I felt neglected. She shows Mari Elena and me enough love to last our lifetime. She is a Great mother. In all the women in the world I choose her to be the mother of my child, no other.

I miss her Smile. It sometimes hurts me to hear her laugh and not be able to see that pretty smile I am so used to seeing. At times I can sit here alone at night and remember how her hair smells after she takes a shower. I miss looking into her eyes and capturing the moment when she tells me she loves me. I can see the truth in her eyes. I miss watching her sleep, but not as much as waking her up so that she can talk to me. I don’t want to lose a moment in time. A moment that I would not be able to tell her how much she means to me.

God hasn’t allowed man to come up with the words that can explain how much I love Julia. She is everything I have every wished for. I wouldn’t change a thing about her for all the riches in the world.

They say that” it’s better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all”.
If that holds true, then I have never loved at all until now. I cannot lose her, she means everything to me. She is my life.

I say “people might think that love comes more than once a lifetime, but True love, the love that dreams are made of only comes once “.

I have found my one true love. When my days on earth are over I know that her name will be on my lips with my last breath of life.

There are so many things about you that I love it would take eternity for me to tell you.

Julia Ida Morales, you have taken my name, I confess and give you all my love.

You’re loving Husband, Steven A. Morales

Promotion!

WOOHOO! Steven Got Promoted. He is Now Officially Staff Sergeant Morales as of the 1st of January. I know that he has worked so hard to get where he is at now. From what I hear, not very many people get to this rank in 5 years of service. I'm so proud of him.

New Year's Eve Pictures

Me Before Going out

Casey, Myself, and Jenn

Me Playing with the Camera Waiting for Jenn to get ready! GEESH!